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London fundraiser boosts platform for autism awareness

Autism – the mental condition that affects the way people communicate
and form relationships – does not discriminate. I realised this all too keenly after being invited to a fundraising evening by the founder of London-based autism charity A2ndvoice.

The event, organised by Simply Mayfair on 25 January 2017 at Tom's Kitchen in Chelsea, brought together people from
all walks of life that have been touched in some way by the condition. A2ndvoice founder Venessa Bobb launched her charity in May 2012 after her middle
child – Nathaniel – was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD) and autism. As with many parents before her, Bobb struggled to find adequate
information on the condition or support. She resorted to forming A2ndvoice as
a way of helping other carers bridge the gap in meeting these needs and is now chair of the National Autistic Society's Lambeth Autism Group. Her event was an eye-opener for me because it highlighted just
how much more understanding, awareness and support is still required today.
What I found particularly telling was that despite there being a diverse range
of speakers sharing their stories during the event, they all experienced similar
frustrations and prejudices purely because autism is still so poorly understood
within the health and education systems, and wider society. Political campaigner and former Reuters journalist Sophie
Walker, who leads the Women’s Equality Party, recounted some of her challenges
during the event about raising her autistic child. And although Winston McKenzie, of
the English Democrats, did not share his experiences of being a father to a
son with autism, he signalled his support by attending the event.

According to the most recent global figures from the US Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1% of the world’s 7.3 billion population
in 2014 was on the autism spectrum. Autism
is often called the hidden disability[1]
because it is not always obvious that people have the condition, and there is no clear-cut reason as to why it manifests - although experts believe it is linked to
genetic and environmental factors. This uncertainty and the fact that autism,
Asperger syndrome and other diagnostic profiles under the autism umbrella
can manifest differently depending on the individual, have implications on how
the public understand the condition.

Most compelling during the fundraising event was Dami Benbow’s
journey as someone living with Asperger syndrome. He was practically written
off as a useful member of society growing up – often being excluded from school and, like Bobb's son, was diagnosed with only ADHD initially. There is increasing research that suggests that ADHD may mask autism and result in delayed diagnosis (PubMed - Miodovnik, a et al Pediatrics). In Benbow's case, his autism spectrum diagnosis did not come until he was 14 years old.
But he remains a living example that people on the autism spectrum must have a
voice. He now has a degree under his belt, is active in politics and works for the
charity Ambitious about Autism as a participation coordinator.

Check out a snapshot of his story here:

For me, the main message to come from the event is that
autism is not someone else’s problem. It is all of ours. You may have friends or colleagues that
have the condition that you are not aware of. There is often an assumption that
people with autism are not in work. But that is a falsehood. You may know people who care for those with
the condition but are not aware of the often lonely struggle they face. Having
to support a child or adult with the condition, particularly when they are not
diagnosed or cannot access the right support, can be a mental and physical
strain on the family and carers. Bobb touched on her experience of domestic
violence and said that although she is a fierce campaigner on the issue of autism, she is still fighting her own battles as a mum to an autistic son. She flagged up the lack of understanding that still plagues the African and Asian communities when it comes to autism, and also the dangers of
grooming, sexual violence and exposure to criminality that can adversely affect
this vulnerable community. A little part of her story follows Benbow’s here.

Out of these challenging experiences, Bobb and others have
created some good and I wanted to end this blog by listing some of the organisations and events that aim to provide essential support to communities across the UK and further afield.
Please check them out and share with those that may stand to benefit from them.

Autism support

·Ali Golding is a developmental dance movement
specialist and uses these skills to offer therapy to people on the autism
spectrum. She is founder and creative director of the Movement Works
Organisation - http://www.movementworks.org/

·Dami Benbow is a participation co-ordinator at
Ambitious About Autism. He has been working on the myVoice project since the
beginning of 2015, which is about engaging young people with autism. www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk

·Orlando Bolt is a personal trainer at Virgin
Active UK, singer and professional dancer who has performed at the London 2012 Paralympic
Opening Ceremony. He has Asperger syndrome and is a support worker at the
National Autistic Society.

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"Ann-Marie was born in 1998 and she was always
an active and alert baby. I remember my aunty commenting on it,” her mother
Jayne said. “But I thought that was positive.” At six weeks old, Ann-Marie stopped sleeping in
the afternoon and it was increasingly difficult to keep her still. As she grew
older, her behaviour became more unusual.

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teacher asked me if she had sight or co-ordination problems. My husband and I
had her assessed but she didn't. "By the time she was four years old, her
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that I saw that she struggled. She wasn’t sleeping well at night and would wake
up and stand at the foot of the bed and ask: ‘did I do something wrong, why
can’t I play with my cousin?'"

Should I be jubilating to learn that a total of three films made by
Ghanaians and those from the diaspora will feature at the Film Africa festival
in 2016? Last year there was just one, while in years 2014 and 2013, there were
two films. Even though the number of films showing this year is higher for a third
consecutive year, I will refrain from popping the champagne just yet.

The reason is two-fold. Ghanaian film representation at Film Africa has
never been as good (if you can call that good) as in 2011 when the festival was
first launched and a total of five flicks were showcased. It fell to four in
2012, and has never managed to hit five digits ever since.

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retail chains are going to come out with annually has become a big talking point that
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the wild marshlands. God (Obatala) believed
that the world needed more and asked the ruler of the sky and creator of the
sun – the supreme God - (Olorun) for permission to create solid land on Earth.
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